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 The British affair with the north-eastern Italian light, fresh and crisp bubbly began during the global melt down about 7-8 years ago with most champagne drinkers trading down. The consumption has been accelerating at an astonishing pace, with 136 million bottles consumed last year alone and several restaurants and mobile vans selling by –the-glass through kegs to meet the demand. But dental experts have recently warned against its excessive consumption or drinking without food and even coined a slightly derogatory term “Prosecco Smile’ and “Prosecco Mouth’ which means loose teeth slowly coming out of the gums and a while line under the teeth.
The detracting dentists claimed that it can offer a ‘triple whammy’ risk to oral health. “Prosecco offers a triple whammy of carbonation, sweetness and alcohol, which can put your teeth at risk, leading to sensitivity and enamel erosion,” reportedly said Prof Damien Walmsley, a scientific adviser for the British Dental Association.
“Carbonated beverages get their fizz from the release of carbon dioxide, which dissolves into carbonic acid. This provides a refreshing taste but also makes these drinks more acidic. Added to that, Prosecco comes with about one teaspoon of sugar per flute,” he adds.
His warnings were echoed by other experts in the industry too. “It is acidic and has sugar in it so, while a few glasses are fine, if you drink too much of it you are going to have a problem,” claimed Dr Mervyn Druian, of the London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry.
Italians are outrages at having their fizz being singled out. Maurizio Martina, the agriculture minister asked Guardian who published the story first, through a tweet, to stop publishing Fake News. Deborah Serracchiani, Governor of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia which produces majority of Prosecco, also tweeted, “After Brexit, we need to help the people of Great Britain smile again. In modest quantities, our Prosecco works wonders.” Luca Zakia, Governor of neighbouring Veneto which made the bubbly famous in UK and the rest of the world says, “This really is fake news. The British know full well that where there is Prosecco there’s a smile; in fact they know it so well that they consume more of it by the day.”
The claims have also been disputed by Italian dentists. Prof. Mario Aimetti, President of an Association of dentists, says, “There is nothing to justify this crusade against Prosecco and the accusation that it is damaging to teeth. The real danger is if you don’t maintain dental hygiene.”
Prosecco mania continues
In the meanwhile the Brit’s zeal for the Italian bubbly is unabated. The Supermarket Lidl’s announcement of special price on their label Allini Prosecco for £3.33 when bought in a case of 6, on the Bank Holiday weekend on August 26 and 27 saw full parking lots when the stores opened and thousands lined up in the early morning outside several stores. Many were out of stock within an hour of opening. The regular price is £5.79 a bottle.
It appears that the Brits just can’t get enough of Prosecco-the dentists’ claims notwithstanding!! Interestingly, the British Dental Association has since denied having any specific agenda against Prosecco adding that it was really down to the frequency it was drunk and whether it was consumed with food or alone.
Our View
 In our view the claim by the UK dentists is not completely unjustified if one is talking of excessive quantity of Prosecco without food. But it seems more like a smear campaign against a product category that has been excessive popularity in the last five years that saw a demolition in the superiority of king champagne. The very fact that the campaign has singled out Prosecco as the culprit when there are dozens of other categories of sparkling wine like champagne and Cava, is unfair.
The claims of excessive sugar and alcohol are totally exaggerated to the point of being ridiculous and showing ignorance. Residual sugar in Prosecco is no more than in Champagne or any other bubbly designated as Brut (with 0-12 gms/liter sugar) and even Extra Dry has 12-17 gm/liter). In India, both these variants are imported almost in equal proportions. We advise people to choose a Brut in order to have less sugar and calories, if they can find the right taste profile.
Alcohol is not a particular issue for Prosecco-at 11-12 % it is no more than champagnes or Cava and generally less than red or even white wines. Acidity is a real issue since the acidity is high to keep it crisp, fresh and bubbly on the mouth. But it is no more than champagne, Cava or any sparkling wine produced anywhere including India. Carbon dioxide in the bubbles of any sparkling wine can give you headache or make you ‘high’ faster but tooth decay is not a problem.
The key lies not in avoiding Prosecco alone-it applies equally well to all the sparkling wines. Excessive amount is most likely to affect your gums and teeth as rightly pointed out by the dentists, although no formal studies seem to have been conducted before the acrimonious statement was made. Brits are known to have too much drinking issue in any case-if we go by the bombardment of published material. Moderation is the key- whether it is Prosecco, champagne or any sparkling wine-though it is more difficult to practice since it is much easier to down a bubbly bubbly than red or even white wine.
 In the whole hullabaloo, people seem to have overlooked the qualities of Prosecco and a lot of trashy quality that has found its way into the British market. There are 2 levels of Prosecco- docg and doc. While DOCG is still the top of the rung and generally better quality at slightly higher prices, the DOC can be from what may be called Prosecco lakes and the Brits are immersing themselves more into the kegful cheap quality and are interested to get a peep into how low they can go in terms of quality and price and how high in terms of quantity, as the case of Lidl seems to suggest. I refrain from passing any comment on the quality of Allini which seems to be a take-off on the famous Prosecco cocktail Bellini, because I have not tasted it but I am willing to bet it is not a Docg which is a category reserved for a specific area within Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
Champagne has been the epitome of sparkling wines for decades, particularly in India. Perhaps the Italians should be happy that it has been now replaced by Prosecco in the UK and any affordable, approachable bubbly might be addressed as Prosecco!
How to avoid Prosecco Mouth:
Here are a few tips given by a UK Dentist who asserts that Prosecco in moderation is the key and for the higher quantities that are creating a panic button for the teeth, there would be other major problems like liver etc to worry about, before the tooth decay sets in as a problem.
He advises the following steps to drink Prosecco, keeping the teeth and gums still healthy:
1 Keep an eye open for a white line around your teeth nearest the gum, especially in your front teeth
2 Drink in moderation - a glass or two a day won't do any harm
3 Wait for half an hour after drinking before you brush your teeth
4 Drinking through a straw can protect your front teeth but won't help the back ones
5 If you swapping with other drinks look for sugar-free mixers and avoid fruit juice or colas
6 Have regular dental check-ups
For some of the Prosecco related Articles in delWine please visit:
Blog : Prosecco 1754 or Frizzante 1593-or Fynes 1593
Prosecco Docg, Doc or simply Oz
Carpenè- Malvolti Prosecco Sup. DOCG shines at Delhi Wine Club Dinner
Prosecco Superiore is Superior to Prosecco
Wine Travels: Passing through Prosecco land
AND PLEASE REMEMBER, MODERATION IS THE KEY.
Subhash Arora |